Platform Decommissioning

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Ancora Descomissionamento

Decommissioning: a natural path for the Oil & Gas industry

It may seem like the end of a cycle, but it is just the beginning of another, in which social responsibility, efficiency and sustainability create opportunities for the future.

What is Decommissioning?

Decommissioning consists of a set of activities associated with the definitive interruption of the operations of a production system and may occur when:

The productive capacity of the fields is reduced, making them economically unfeasible.
The production facilities reach the end of their useful life.

Ancora Jornada offshore

A Little History

Our offshore journey began in the waters of Sergipe and was consolidated in the Campos Basin.

Exploring new deposits, developing a field, installing a platform and starting oil production. In simple terms, these are the basic stages to start Exploration and Production (E&P) activities.

2018

Signature of Decree No. 9616/2018, of December 2018. This decree brought important guidelines for opening up the market, based on the knowledge consolidated by the “Gás para Crescer” [Gas to Grow] initiative, in particular: the organization of the transport system by entry and exit; third-party negotiated access to distribution, processing and regasification facilities; and guidelines for opening up the market in the states.

2019

New Gas Market – program that established new initiatives to open up the gas market and consolidated existing ones, with emphasis on the enactment, in June 2019, of CNPE Resolution 16/2018, of the National Council for Energy Policy, which brought guidelines and policies to be observed by the sector's agents to open up the market.

2020

We participated in the creation of the Book of Best Practices for Processing and Distribution, together with IBP.

2021

In the legislative sphere, the opening process advanced significantly, with the approval of Law 14,134/2021, of 04/08/2021, which established the new regulatory framework for the natural gas sector in Brazil, establishing essential rules for opening this market, and Decree 10,712/2021, of 06/02/2021, which governs the new law. The approval of the law and the decree gives legal certainty to investors, by allowing the structuring of a legal and regulatory framework in this new scenario.

2018

2019

2020

2021

Platform P-1 in Rio, in 1968, ready to operate in the Guaricema field (SE), the first in Brazil (Photo: Petrobras Image Bank).

Campo de Garoupa: the first significant offshore discovery in the Bacia de Campos (Photo: Petrobras Image Bank)

Our first oil in Sergipe sea

More than 50 years of offshore journey. That's no small feat. And today, we are ending our operations in several oil and gas production systems.

Like humans, animals and plants, equipment also has a life cycle. It would be no different with oil and gas production systems. When the opportunities for the continued operation of an oil and gas production system end, the work of decommissioning these assets begins.

Memories and longing from those who were part of this journey

The oil tanker Cairu, which later became the P-32, is now the pioneering unit in the sustainable decommissioning process.

The senior engineer officer, Manoel Dutra Vidal, was one of the crew members of the P-32 for many years. At the platform's farewell event, he recounted, with great emotion and longing, a little of the unit's legacy:

Daytime photograph of a Petrobras offshore platform.

P-32, the only FPSO whose name everyone knew: Cairu

“You arrived discreetly in the Basin, still unfinished, whose work was completed at the location itself. With so much still to be done, you were soon nicknamed the ugly duckling. But you soon became the swan of the Basin. The first platform to export oil, a pioneer in self-sufficiency in drinking water. And I don't know how many times you exported distilled water to other FPSOs in Marlim.

All of this was achieved by a spectacular and competent team of professionals who worked there over all these long years. And the atmosphere was so good, it was our second family!

And how important you were to everyone! Many of us saw our children being born and growing up, others, like me, met the women who would become their wives. Unfortunately, along the way we had those who were called by God. Some of them were honored with their names in the control room, in the production plant, in the cafeteria. We still miss them!
Over time, some retired and the oil workers arrived, now veterans who are still there at the end of their cycle. And now I am comforted to know that your final destination will be recycling. As a human being who donates his organs to save other lives, your strong steel will be part of new units and you will remain alive in each one of them. Rest in peace, 'old Cairu'!

Thank you very much for everything!”

Ancora Nosso compromisso

Decommissioning is a legal obligation

Our commitment is to ensure that it is carried out safely, with attention and care to people and respect for the environment.

It is an activity that generates value for the company and for society.

Decommissioning will also occur when projects to revitalize areas are implemented, such as the one being carried out in the Marlim field, in which the old production systems will be replaced by new ones. 

In addition to being a requirement established by the Petroleum Law L9478 (planalto.gov.br), decommissioning is a commitment by companies to ensure the closure of operations in a safe, environmentally appropriate manner and in accordance with the industry's best ESG practices (Environmental, Social and Governance). 

At the end of their production life cycle, assets leave an important legacy for the regions where they were installed, with a significant socioeconomic contribution and generation of value for society, but they also leave behind stories, memories and longing.

But this story does not end here. The decommissioning activity is just a new beginning. A stage that, although much shorter in duration than the production development phase, can move the production chain, develop technologies and technical skills, and generate employment and income. All of this, with respect for the environment and local populations, in a model that we want to be a benchmark in the global industry: sustainable decommissioning.

Before deciding to decommission, options aimed at recovering the fields' production capacity and maximizing the value of the assets are evaluated, such as developing projects that employ technologies that invigorate production or optimize the asset, revitalizing the field, strategic partnerships, or even the asset sale. Always in line with the objective of generating value for the company and society.

Once the need for decommissioning is confirmed, we plan and execute the activities following strict safety standards and carrying out analysis of project alternatives based on multidisciplinary criteria (environmental, technical, safety, social and economic), which allow us to compare solutions and identify the most appropriate decommissioning alternative.

Decommissioning projects are summarized in a document called the Installation Decommissioning Program (PDI), which, according to the regulations of the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), must be presented five years before the end of operations of a production system.

The PDIs submitted by Petrobras and other operators to the ANP are available (in portuguese) on the Dynamic Panel for Decommissioning Exploration and Production Facilities — National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (www.gov.br) National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP).

The PDIs must be evaluated and approved by the ANP, Ibama and the Brazilian Navy, considering the institutional attributions of each agency. In summary, Ibama analyzes the solutions presented from an environmental point of view; the ANP from a technical perspective, verifying the adequacy of the proposals to the best industry practices; and the Brazilian Navy observes whether the issues affect the safety of navigation and guarantee of other uses of the sea.

The PDI of a maritime production system covers several activities, distributed in three main scopes: (i) platform, (ii) wells and (iii) subsea systems.

Examples of these activities are as follows: cleaning and conditioning of platforms, pipelines and equipment; treatment, final disposal of waste and environmentally appropriate disposal of waste; safe and definitive plugging of wells; disconnection and disposal of subsea systems; and dismantling and recycling of platforms.

A decommissioning project can be divided into three main systems.

These systems have different levels of information maturity for evaluating decommissioning project alternatives as well as specific timelines for planning and executing operations.
Separating the decommissioning project for each of these systems into stages allows for mitigating risks and facilitating their implementation by optimizing operations (economies of scale).

Since 2013, Petrobras has decommissioned the fixed Cação platforms (PCA-1, PCA-2 and PCA-3), in the Espírito Santo Basin, its own floating platforms P-7, P-12, P-15, P-27, P-34, in the Campos Basin, in addition to the chartered floating platforms FPSO Piranema Spirit, in the Sergipe Alagoas Basin, FPSO Brasil, FPSO Marlim Sul, FPSO Rio de Janeiro, FPSO Rio das Ostras, in the Campos Basin and FPSO Cidade de São Vicente, in the Santos Basin.

P-32: in the way to be a world reference in new decommissioning practices

Watch the video of our first unit to go through a sustainable decommissioning practices.

Ancora Um oceano de oportunidades

Decommissioning: an ocean of opportunities and possibilities

Although it is a process under construction, the activity has the potential to develop a new production chain, generating employment, income and value for society

Although decommissioning is part of the life cycle of an oil and gas production system, and several projects have already been executed in Brazil and in areas such as the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea, the challenges are still huge.

Reflecting the current situation of society and Petrobras, when carrying out decommissioning activities we aim to reduce operational risks, environmental impacts, social impacts and costs, maximizing its sustainability and reinforcing our commitments to Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) and Human Rights.

But this challenge also brings opportunities. The main one is the development of a new production chain, with the potential to generate employment, income and value for society. The qualification of the workforce and the development of the competitiveness of the national market are fundamental to the construction of this new virtuous circle.

Ancora Segurança e atenção e cuidado com as pessoas

Safety and attention and care to people: top values

Decommissioning is multidisciplinary and multifaceted and can be complex and challenging from many perspectives. One of the great lessons learned in our journey was to elevate the safety of our operations as a top value. That is why we also prepared for this stage by relying on our technological capacity, our partnerships and the experience of global players.

For years, we have been studying feasible solutions to act safely and responsibly at the end of our operations. This means that after we decide to decommission a production system, we will plan and execute the activities, following strict safety standards.

And that's not all. We will also base ourselves on a vast amount of study material and guidance on the industry's best practices. Since decommissioning projects in Brazil are relatively recent and have particularities that can make them more complex and challenging than those already carried out in the rest of the world, it is essential that we be extremely careful.

In addition to safety, attention and care to the people involved in the process is equally important. Ensuring that all teams are informed, trained and equipped, promoting a work environment where the health, well-being and safety of our employees are non-negotiable priorities is one of our values that contribute to each stage of the decommissioning being conducted with the utmost respect and care for everyone involved.

Two Petrobras employees adjusting their equipments to work on a platform.

Ancora Melhores práticas

Best practices

We understand that the best practices and lessons learned from the global industry must be considered, but customized solutions must also be developed, ensuring safety and respect for the environment.

For example, in the decommissioning of the P-32 and P-33 platforms, the disconnection stage of the subsea lines was carried out in a way to optimize operations and increase safety and reliability levels, eliminating the need for diving operations and reducing the operating time of the PLSV (Pipe Laying Support Vessel), a vessel specialized in launching and removing subsea lines.

Ancora Economia circular

Circular economy

Aerial photo of a Petrobras offshore platform.

The sustainable decommissioning model is linked to the concept of circular economy, which, unlike the linear economy, seeks to reduce the use of raw materials and make greater use of waste. In this model, waste can be used as input for the production of new products. With recycling, regeneration, reuse and recovery, inputs tend to have their useful life extended.

The current scenario shows that industries are actively adapting to face the challenges, which involve incorporating responsible and sustainable practices into their operations, aiming for a safer, more efficient and environmentally conscious future.

The circular economy plays an important role in this adaptation. Many industries will be able to explore opportunities to reuse and recycle materials from decommissioning, transforming what used to be considered waste into new products.

To this end, we have adopted guidelines for the sustainable disposal of vessels, which include, among other actions:

Implement actions to minimize waste generation, prevent impacts on biodiversity, in addition to reusing equipment and promoting the circular economy.

Recycle in shipyards equipped with technological solutions that ensure the containment of contaminants resulting from dismantling activities, preventing their release into the environment.

Survey existing materials on the vessel in order to ensure the adequate preparation of a recycling plan by the shipyard.

Recycle the fleet of vessels safely, protecting the environment and people who work in recycling shipyards.

Consider the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 1257/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on ship recycling and amending Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 and Directive 2009/16/EC Text relevant for the EEA (europa.eu) in the case of international shipyards and/or, in the case of Brazilian shipyards, act in accordance with operating licenses and applicable environmental, safety and health standards and rules for workers, including management of subcontractors.

Recycle the fleet of vessels safely, protecting the environment and people who work in recycling shipyards.

Ancora Requisitos ASG

ESG Requirements

In 2023, the FPSOs P-32 and P-33 were sold in line with these guidelines. In both auctions, the winning company was Gerdau S.A, in collaboration with the Ecovix shipyard.

In addition to the initiative involving the decommissioning of the platforms, we are adopting measures to ensure maximum sustainability in the disposal of waste generated during the decommissioning of flexible flowlines and umbilicals, which cannot be reused in other projects. To this end, the company incorporated ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) requirements into EPRD (Engineering, Preparation, Removal and Disposal) contracts for the decommissioning of subsea systems.

With the increase in demand for decommissioning projects in the coming years, initiatives involving multiple stakeholders are underway to encourage and strengthen routes for the reuse and recycling of materials, especially those related to polymeric materials, among which we highlight:

Research and implementation of new routes for the reuse of polymeric materials from decommissioned flexible flowlines and umbilicals.
Creation of incentives or financial benefits for the circular economy and reverse logistics (for example, using recycled material from decommissioned lines in the manufacture of new lines).
Incorporation of sustainability into new production systems, adopting projects (technologies, structures or models) that favor decommissioning at the end of their useful life.

International Recognition

We were recognized as a benchmark for our sustainable practices throughout 2023 by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. The entity annually lists and evaluates the conduct related to recycling processes and waste disposal in the dismantling of vessels from companies around the world.

Ancora Biodiversidade e descomissionamento

Biodiversity and decommissioning

To reduce the risk of bioinvasion in sensitive areas, when decommissioning floating platforms, navigation routes are established that avoid transit through Environmental Conservation Units and prioritize areas with depths greater than 200 meters, where temperatures near the seabed are usually lower than what the sun coral can withstand, in case the colonies break off during the journey. The navigation route also avoids areas used for artisanal fishing, as towing the material can cause spatial conflicts with this fishing method.

Ancora Grandes números

Big Numbers in Decommissioning

Do you know that Brazil already ranks third in the world ranking of the largest decommissioning markets in the world?

Decommissioning is expected to attract major investments worldwide in the coming years and Brazil has one of the greatest potentials in this activity.  The Brazilian offshore industry sees a promising horizon of new opportunities with the decommissioning of offshore production systems.

Check out some figures from our investment in decommissioning:

Projetamos impulsionar um ciclo virtuoso no país com as atividades de descomissionamento, abrindo novas oportunidades para a indústria offshore, siderúrgica e empresas especializadas em gerenciamento de resíduos. Além disso, a companhia prevê estimular a ocupação de estaleiros e do parque produtivo, bem como o estímulo à economia circular com a destinação sustentável de toneladas de aço, equipamentos e materiais decorrentes das atividades de descomissionamento.

O Brasil possui condições privilegiadas de assumir uma posição de destaque, desde que construa uma visão estratégica de longo prazo para o setor e promova uma ampla coordenação dos agentes públicos envolvidos, onde lacunas regulatórias sejam suprimidas, promovendo um ambiente de segurança jurídica, previsibilidade e estabilidade, capaz de atrair novos investimentos.

Ancora Redução de desperdícios e reaproveitamento de materiais

Reduction of waste and reuse of materials
 Decommissioning opens up major opportunities by enabling the recycling of tons of equipment and materials such as steel and polymers, which are recovered and can be reintroduced into new production chains, avoiding the manufacturing and extraction of resources and their respective processing, avoiding environmental impacts. 
 
 This is because, looking at decommissioning from a sustainability standpoint means redefining this stage of the life cycle of our industry.  Strengthening the value networks that decommissioning is capable of generating not only for our industry, but also for our society.
 
 In this movement, we want to invigorate the modernization of the industry, incorporating the best international sustainability practices. In addition to boosting the circular economy, this practice generates opportunities for the use and allocation of labor in national shipyards. 

Ancora Fortalecimento da indústria da construção naval

Daytime aerial photo of Petrobras outdoor operations.

Strengthening the shipbuilding industry

To develop the full potential of the national shipbuilding industry associated with decommissioning, the isolated action of a single company will not be enough. It will be necessary to create a consistent development policy, supported by regulations, to invigorate and perpetuate the competitiveness of the industry, involving all stakeholders: suppliers, shipyards, companies, representative entities and trade associations, among others.

In addition, investments are needed in infrastructure for the construction or adaptation of shipyards for the purpose of receiving, processing and disposing of platforms resulting from decommissioning.

With this integrated effort, there is no doubt that decommissioning has all the potential to open a virtuous cycle of investments and opportunities for the national economy.

Our purpose is to continue contributing to the development and qualification of the national market. To this end, we have adopted a range of initiatives aimed at increasing the predictability of our demand to the market, with broad dissemination of the required sustainability requirements and the number of units to be recycled in the next ten years.

Ancora Desenvolvimento de Soluções e Tecnologias

Development of Solutions and Technologies

Decisions related to planning decommissioning activities, as well as their execution and the disposal of materials and equipment resulting from this activity can benefit significantly from Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I), as new technologies and approaches are developed to make the entire process increasingly efficient, safe and sustainable.

Brazil has the opportunity to position itself as a global benchmark in the development of new solutions and technologies aimed at decommissioning, invigorating both R&D&I activities and the qualification of the domestic market, through collaboration between industry, academia and government agencies.

It is natural when we are going through the learning curve to have the various stakeholders thinking and building joint solutions. This is very important, because we need to have different perspectives. We need to unite the various ends of this complex ecosystem, which transcends the oil and gas segment.

The Role of our Research Center

Cenpes: the largest research center in Latin America (Photo: Agência Petrobras de Notícias)

As an important player in this context, our Research, Development and Innovation Center, the Cenpes, has a Technological Initiative, that is, a set of projects, dedicated to the topic of decommissioning.

Cenpes has encouraged the development of solutions and the training of the national market aimed at the decommissioning of the company's assets. And this is based on the mapping of demands and opportunities from the observation of the regulatory scenario. In addition to the continuous monitoring of initiatives developed in global markets, with decades of experience in the decommissioning of assets, such as the United Kingdom and the Gulf of Mexico.

With an emphasis on four areas of knowledge, the Technological Initiative led by Cenpes focuses on the decommissioning of submarine systems, wells, and the sustainability of related activities, with dozens of R&D&I projects, such as:

Alternative techniques and materials to the use of cement for plugging wells.
Alternative techniques for the recovery of pipelines from the seabed.
Sustainable solutions for the final disposal of materials and waste removed from the marine environment.

Ancora Visão de futuro

Vision of the future

At the same time, Cenpes will also be able to contribute to the construction of our vision of the future of decommissioning, proposing and developing new assumptions, materials, systems and infrastructures that already contemplate, from their conceptual design, the characteristics necessary for their sustainable, efficient and safe decommissioning.

As they are in our DNA, research, development and innovation are key elements in this journey. We will continue to work to overcome challenges and capture existing opportunities, investing in people and building integrated solutions, always in a safe, responsible and sustainable manner, for the success and longevity of our company.